Patent GB-1173787-A (GB)
Title: Method of and Apparatus for Automatically Feeding Cops of Spun Yarn
IPC: B65H67/06
Filed: 1967-03-21
Abstract: 1,173,787. Endless conveyers. KURASHIKI SPINNING CO. Ltd. 21 March, 1967 [4 April, 1966; 5 April, 1966; 6 April, 1966; 8 April, 1966], No. 13313/67. Heading B8A. [Also in Division D1] In the automatic transfer of caps of spun yarn from a spinning frame to an automatic winding machine, the caps are suspended by magnets on a conveyer travelling around the frame and, at a predetermined point in the conveyer path, are detached so that they fall into cylindrical hollow holders carried on another conveyer, partially overlapping the first conveyer, whereby they are transported to an accumulator conveyer on to which they are admitted selectively, i.e. only if of prescribed weight, underweight caps being dropped into a collecting box. The holders are removed from the accumulator conveyer as required and fed into the winding machine by dropping them from the holders and all empty holders are recirculated to the original cap-receiving position. The apparatus includes cap-detaching and holder-arresting mechanisms synchronously operated at the initiation of a photo-electric device reacting to the presence or absence of a cap adjacent the cap-detachment mechanism. General operation of the apparatus.-As shown in Fig. 1, caps fully wound in each spinning frame 1 are doffed by catchers mounted on an endless chain of an auto-doffer (not shown) and are attracted by magnets carried on an endless conveyer 2 to be suspended therefrom. Each cap is subsequently disengaged from its supporting magnet by a stopper (6), Fig. 2 (not shown), falls and is directed or shooted by a tubular guide (7) into a holder 9 carried on an underlying belt conveyer 8. When (a) cap(s) is/are due for collection, holders 9 are temporarily accumulated in suitable number by a stop lever 12 pivoted by solenoids under the control of a photo-electric tube and released when a cap has entered a holder 9. The sequence of operations and delays is regulated by electrical control equipment 17. The holders are then transferred to a position whereat they ride on a rotating disc plate 18 by which they are turned and moved on to another belt conveyer 20 while having their positions corrected by a stationary guide 19. At the further end of conveyer 20, the holders are engaged, and then supported, by blades of brackets 25 on a moving chain 21 and transported to an elevated position whereat the holders 9 are removed from brackets 25 by a comb-shaped guide 37, directed by guide 38 on to another belt conveyer 39 which carries the holders (with or without caps therein) to a weight discriminator 40 which directs (normal) holders with caps and underweight holders &c. (including any empty holders) into paths separated by a guide 55 on a conveyer 54. If the winding machine 56 is not in need of a cap, the holders in L-section are blocked by a stopper 57 but, if the machine 56 requires a cap, stopper 57 is opened to allow holders accumulated on a flexible guide 58 to advance, singly and in orderly manner without jamming, on to a stationary plate 59 whence they are moved by a magnetic chain conveyer 62 to rotating feed mechanism 63. The cap falls through an aperture 64 to be fed to the winding machine and the holder 9 is returned to conveyer 8 by an inclined conveyer 68. Underweight (or empty) holders &c. directed into passage R on conveyer 54 are blocked by a stopper 71 and released singly to a magnetic chain conveyer 73 thence also to inclined conveyer 68, the underweight caps dropping through aperture 74 into a box (not shown). Transfer of holders from conveyer 20.-In the operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6, holders 9 are accumulated on conveyer 20 between a feeler 36 and a guide 32. Subsequent movement of holders closes a microswitch to cause chain 21 to travel and holders accumulated on a plate 29 are caught by blades 28 of respective brackets 25 and transported thereby. The blades 28 pass over guides 30 and 32 and bottom plate 26 passes under plate 29 on which holders have been temporarily confined by leaf spring 34 and supports a holder when it clears the edge of plate 29 and is pressed against a guide 27 by a leaf spring 35. The chain 21 is guided to travel horizontally when it is confronted by plate 29 and also when holders are discharged from the brackets 25 at an elevated position following inclined travel of the chain. The holders (full or empty) are removed by guide 37 and moved on to conveyer 39 as directed by guide 38. Weight discriminator and separator.-As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the holder 9 and cap is moved on to a weighing pan 42 (ejecting a previous holder therefrom) by engagement with a notch 43 in a rotary cam 41 and propulsion by a roll 52. The driving mechanism X of the cam is actuated by a limit switch 44 detecting the approach of a holder on the conveyer 39. A lock 53 for a balance beam 47 is removed, by the action of an electromagnet energized synchronously with rotation of cam 41, to free the pan 42 for weight measurement. After such measurement, the lock is re-engaged magnetically and the pan returns to its original position. If the weight of the holder &c. is at or greater than a prescribed value, illumination of a photoelectric tube 48 is intercepted by the balance beam and no signal is generated: if the holder &c. is underweight, then there is no such interruption and a signal is transmitted to driving means Y to swing a selector 51 into the position shown in dotted lines so that the holder &c. is directed to a separate path from the path followed by holders &c. of normal weight. Feeding holders &c. singly from an assembly on conveyer 54.-The guide 58, Fig. 12, consists of a leaf spring supported by member 60 and defining, with a fixed guide 61, a holder passageway. In the initial stage of contact with the spring, the holder is carried forward while urging the deflective portion of the guide outwardly with its side wall but as the holder approaches the guide 61 and the non-deflective portion of the spring it is tilted and this action releases the holder from jamming.